Despite the fact she has the job, and figure, that a lot of people can only dream of having, <a href="http://vt.co/lifestyle/health/victorias-secret-model-shares-empowering-message-labeled-not-thin-enough-magazine/">Victoria's Secret</a> runway model Bridget Malcolm has opened up about her struggles to say so slim and the less glamorous side of her career. The 26-year-old, who was walked the catwalk for the company twice, says she battled with her body image for 12 years before learning to grown and accept herself. Taking to her blog to share her experiences in two separate posts, the model revealed that she has now "let go of the desire to be as small as possible at the expense of truly living." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BgMwaG4n49D/?hl=en&taken-by=bridgetmalcolm]] "It makes me sad to think of all the time I wasted on dieting myself to a personality-less state. Life is too short to be the one always ordering steamed vegetables after training for two hours straight," she said. Bridget says that the most difficult part of overcoming her demons was convincing herself not to obsess over food: "I cannot tell you how many times I went to bed with my head whirling – trying to get me to latch onto how much I ate at dinner, or during the day, or trying to convince myself to change my diet, start training hard again, start tracking my size, just start doing more. "It felt like two steps forward, one and three quarters step back." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BfJ1d-fHTMA/?hl=en&taken-by=bridgetmalcolm]] However, she says that once she began to control her diet, she would refrain from ever talking about <a href="http://vt.co/lifestyle/health/instagram-star-posts-photos-show-body-image-issues-affect-men/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">body image</a> in order to stop her from thinking about it. "From that point on, I said no to anything negative and body related. "If body talk came up with friends, I shut it down and refused to engage. If I felt the need to look in a mirror, I read a book instead. When I was ordering food for dinner, I ordered what I wanted. "And strangely enough – the need to gorge myself is slowly fading away." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BesgBFLH2sv/?hl=en&taken-by=bridgetmalcolm]] Bridget says that she is much happier now she concentrates on living her life rather than her image, with the model saying: "Because the fact is, life is way too short to be focused on the exterior. Time spent worrying about your size is time wasted. "There are far bigger fish to fry in the world than your thigh size. There are so many better uses for your brain. There is a life to be lived." "We have so much to offer to the world – every single one of us – and we get missed when we get caught up in egotistical pursuits. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BeF4MGzHDPd/?hl=en&taken-by=bridgetmalcolm]] "I never realized how much time and energy I would spend on dieting. I am much freer now, and it is a fantastic feeling. "I wish I had discovered it sooner – but late is better than never." She also had one last message to people who may feel the need to shame her for her weight gain. "I have gained weight. And I do not give a f**k about it. My life is so much more than my jean size. "And every day when that voice in my head tries to tell me I am worthless, it gets a little easier to shut it down. I am setting myself free slowly." Obviously, overcoming an eating disorder is much more complex than 'just eating'. If you are struggling with a disorder, go and see your GP and seek medical help before you try to do anything extreme yourself.

Victoria's Secret model reveals 12-year struggle with dieting 'to be as small as possible'

Top Stories

Lifestyle

Mom sparks debate after saying other shopper should have let her cut in line because she only had two items

Lifestyle

1st grader's homework stumps mom, so she turns to social media for help

Lifestyle

Man who married love doll revealed how their relationship was going one year on

Lifestyle

Woman divides social media users after revealing a stranger offered her $200,000 for her dog

Lifestyle

Mom left 'disgusted' after daughter is cast as 'Someone's Wife' in school Nativity play

Lifestyle

Woman reveals she will only have a baby if her partner pays her $315K a year: 'I'm not here to suffer'